Working in complex multi-body part

[richard_pears]

hi,

I am hoping to find some advice on how to work inside multi body parts

I am using this method (top down) instead of creating an assembly by bottom up.

one of the main issues I find is I don't think you can activate a body, in the same way that you activate a component within an assembly. This can make it difficult, particularly when working on a body that is hidden away  inside. In an assembly you can activate that component and all others will go to ghost mode so you can esilly see and make changes to a component.

Does anyone have any tips and trick of ways of working to help with this?

I find it useful the way it collects the bodies together in the tree and lets you see what features form that body

and also I find naming bodies and features useful to help me navigate the model.

I also know I can hide all other bodies which works similar to activating a component in assembly.

It does seem that the more complicated that the assembly gets the part tree can get difficult to navigate and may lend itself to moving over to working in the assembly in some cases if you get a large amount of bodies. then you will have a mixture of top down and bottom up. probably the main components would be top down then smaller details bottom up. could be an idea, but I really like the top down approach and want to find maybe new ideas how to manipulate it.

[kacper.suchomski]

There is no single answer to this.
As someone mentioned in the previous topic - all solutions and workflows have advantages and disadvantages.

Hiding other (or selected) bodies is similar to hiding components in an assembly, rather than editing a component in an assembly.

Hiding solids/components allows you to continuously work with the same set of solids/components, and visibility itself is a tool that facilitates navigation in the same environment.

However, editing a component in assembly changes the working environment - from assembly to part (unless it is a subassembly), which changes the set of available tools and the possibilities of operations on the object.

As I mentioned - the multi-body part is a form of sketch - it is a certain working stage.

[richard_pears]

Hi @kacper.suchomski kacper.

yes thanks, I appreciate this.

I'm just looking for tips and tricks of how to navigate it a little easier. If i was missing anything. as im relatively new to this way of working compared to building parts individually and assembling which I have done for many years so have become familiar with this way.

But if this is just the reality of modelling like this - I will weigh up the pros and cons and decide how and when to use it accordingly. But as its new for me I ask for help in-case I am missing something and to make the most informed decision.

[kacper.suchomski]

It is impossible to suggest the most informed decision based on a description.
If you want to solve a specific case, you should attach your project. Otherwise, we are dealing with a general issue and, consequently, general advice.

[aurel_e · Accepted solution]

You can isolate a body in a similar way as a component in the assembly:

https://www.screenpresso.com/=Pbuqc

[richard_pears]

@aurel_e , thankyou very much!

did you make this video yourself?

I didn't realise about the selection filters!

so that was very useful and will make it much quicker for me.

I was always having to find the body by searching through the list of bodies in the feature tree.

I am familiar with selection filters as I've used in Siemens NX but didn't even know it existed in inventor.

I don't know how I've survived this long without lol.

so it was a big help and actually the best bit was a little inadvertent.

Another question maybe I am being dumb here too.
but when you turn the bodies back on - sometimes there could be some bodies that you want to always be hidden for some reason and you keep turning them all back on - as I would use show all to turn all bodies back on. is this how you do it or is there a better way if you always want some things to stay invisible?

[kacper.suchomski]

Shift + RMB = faster access to filters anywhere in the window.

You can manage visibility using views (a folder in your browser). Hover your mouse and click F1 to learn more about working with views. 

[aurel_e]

Yes I just made that video. Sometimes is easier to explain.
I agree with Kacper Suchomski: The views (similar to view reps in assemblies), is the way to save the configs.

[SBix26]

One way to manage a complex multibody modeling process is to break it up into smaller chunks, similar to subassemblies in a complex assembly.  I can't speak to your particular assembly, of course, but one technique that I have found helpful is to combine a master sketch with multibody modeling.

The master sketch is a part that contains one or more sketches that define the crucial planes, axes, points, profiles, etc. that tie the whole thing together.  The master sketch is derived into each multibody master model for different subassemblies so that it all works together.

Again, this may or may not be helpful, depending on the nature of your assembly.

Edit: sorry, this reply was intended for @richard_pears 

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Sam B

Inventor Pro 2025 | Windows 11 Home 23H2